“Stick to music bestie”: Fans are ripping into The Weeknd’s acting skills in ‘The Idol’
Episode two of The Idol has come and gone, and this week, the majority of the conversation online is revolving around The Weeknd’s (Abel Tesfaye’s) acting chops or lack thereof.
The series had already received some pretty controversial reviews and comments prior to its release, which only heightened after the show landed on our screens last week. After episode one aired, viewers were pleased by the addition of BLACKPINK’s Jennie, disappointed by the so-called “sex” scene and intrigued by the show’s disillusioned proximity to reality — not forgetting the killer outfits and unique filming locations, of course.
Overall, fans have been quick to comment on The Weeknd’s acting skills and the sheer amount of sex scenes in the show, but it appears that this week’s dialogue took things to the next level. “can y’all please cut The Weeknd and his bad acting out this scene so i can enjoy it fully,” wrote one Twitter user.
“If anyone ever gives the Weeknd another acting gig, put them in jail,” added another
Meanwhile, there was one particular line from The Weeknd’s character Tedros that had the internet collectively wincing. The moment in question sees Jocelyn (played by Lily-Rose Depp) naked and blindfolded while Tedros (aka The Weeknd) orders her to fulfil his uh, unique, sexual fantasies. At one point, he orders the star to “Fuckin’ stretch that tiny, little pussy,” which, understandably, left some fans with a lingering ick.
“I would like to ask the actors who filmed this show how it feels to live without a single grain of discomfort because I experienced the nastiness and shame more than ever in my life in just 40 minutes,” said one viewer of the scene.
“Idk if #TheIdolHBO was going for sexy or creepy in the 2nd half of ep 2 but it failed on both counts cuz I found the dialogue to be hilariously cringey. I genuinely think Rachel Sennott and Lily-Rose Depp are very talented, but this show is just a mess, [sic]” wrote another.
After the first episode left fans with a sour taste in their mouths, the equally poor second instalment certainly didn’t help Levinson’s cause. And now that we’re a third of the way through the show, it begs the question, will it ever be possible for it to redeem itself?
